Dear Pastor,

Greetings to you in the mighty name of Jesus. Over the years, whenever I had problems, you always know what to say to let it go away, but today I really do need you. I really wish I could talk to you personally but I would like others out there to see what I am going through. This is a long story.

I migrated to America many years ago and ended up at my mother's half sister. That was one of the worst mistakes I have ever made.

The first problem we had was when my phone bill came for US$120. As soon as I walked in from work, she showed it to me. I told her everything will be okay, then I went to sit down. Suddenly, I heard a barrage of expletives. I asked what was all that for because I could give her US$80 immediately and the balance the following day. She told me that wasn't the point, she didn't want her phone to cut off.

I never had any problems before. The cursing got worse and I didn't answer her until I couldn't stand it anymore. I told her that she is a big woman and she shouldn't be cursing and carrying on like that. She grabbed up her phone and called all her troublemakers that she gossips with to tell them that I called her an old woman. All I could hear was them screaming, "throw out the gal." For about two weeks I had to sleep on her floor. It was winter so she opened up the window where I slept into, my coat and used the other to cover because I wasn't allowed to use her sheets.

worst things

Few weeks later, she befriended me and begged me to go to a party with her. I declined but she didn't stop until I went without knowing that she set up a man to beat me but her date came to my rescue.

Few months later, she asked me to clean the two bedroom apartment she was moving into and she would pay me. Pastor, I woke up early the Saturday morning and went to clean the place for over six hours, and Pastor the crafty woman had no intention of paying me, so she announced that it wasn't clean so she wasn't going to pay me. I did not say a word to her. Each time she went to Jamaica, she told people the worst things about me. People would come and say the lifestyle I was living was disgraceful. And when I asked her, she cried and said people were lying on her.

No matter what difficulties I am in, my aunt never lifted one single finger to help me. And thank God I never asked, but things always had a way of working out. She even put up people to report me to the Immigration Service that my marriage wasn't real and that delayed my papers for an extra two-three years but we prevailed. And again I forgave her.

She then started on my daughter because at the time she was going through some rough times. She told the child I didn't like her. She tried to destroy the child's life even putting up the child to trump up stories about me and call the police. But the child called family members in Jamaica and they notified me.

God helped me and I came to Jamaica and purchased a piece of land in one of the acres in Spanish Town. When she found out, I heard they gave me hell in Kingston at her house.

She became my very best friend. Every time I went home to work on my house, she came along and would show up at my house. She even had her friends who came along at times. She asked me to rent her a room when the house was finished, but I declined because I wasn't making it to rent.

I began to wonder what was her motive. It became clear on a trip when she planned to return a day before me and while we were at my mother's house she gave me a tea box and told me that it was just a few tea bags inside. I was stupid enough to take it and drop it into my bag without a second thought. But my sister saw when she gave me and searched it and found out that it was eight tea bags of ganja. My sister told everyone except me about it. She was trying to set me up. The night when I came she kept calling my house. The wicked woman didn't care about the baby. My sister told me about it two years later.

Could you imagine how shocked I was when I heard that she already spread rumours behind my back that I was a drug dealer? I have never sold a ganja seed in my life. I work hard like a dog in this country at times doing three jobs, which include cosmetology. I was in a partner and this woman did all this to rob me and my children of the house we are going hungry to build.

planning my death

She swears she has never given me any ganja and her friends believed her. I am also mad with my mother because she heard even from visitors how her sister treated me and if they had doubts, the ganja was as plain as the nose on my mother's face. All I needed from Mama was for her to ask her sister why. I can never forget that Mama's sister and her friend tried setting me up to go to prison.

Pastor, please don't tell me to forgive her. I spent my years doing that until she began planning my death. The worst thing, Pastor, I thought we lived well here as we had no problem whatsoever but you might not believe me. God knows the truth. So, I don't have to worry as God blessed her and my sister.

I want others to beware of people giving you things to take abroad. I remember telling my story in one of my classes in college and others found it hard to believe until our lady professor announced to the class that when she got her doctorate and purchased a mansion then went back to her island, the same night she returned some of her family members were at her home to greet her. While she was taking out the present she had received a family member was drawn to a beautiful pillow she got, so they brought it up to their face and then did it again and asked who gave it to her and she told them.

One family member asked to be given a kitchen knife and she cut the pillow to reveal the ganja inside. The entire class gasped. That is what bad mind and jealousy by family members and your own blood can do to you. The lesson is never be too quick to judge people who got caught with drugs because some are innocent but not all are so lucky.

Survivor

Dear Survivor,

Congratulations. You have done well. Nobody has been able to stop you although you have alleged that traps were set to destroy you. You would do better if you stop hating your aunt and all those who are against you. I would love for you to give God praise and thanks for His protection. The angels of God encampeth around those who fear the Lord. My prayers are with you. May God continue to bless you.

Pastor